Qualifier Salazar Upsets Seedings At El Gouna

Mexican qualifier Cesar Salazar pulled off the biggest upset on the opening day of the 2016 El Gouna International when he downed Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar to move into the second round of the PSA World Series event for the first time.

The 28-year-old world No.30 from San Luis Potosi came through a mammoth 112-minute encounter in the final round of qualification 24 hours earlier yesterday to book his place in the main draw and backed up with a superb performance against the talented 22-year-old Abouelghar - ranked eight places higher - to emerge victorious after 73 minutes.

Salazar played with precision and focus from the start, coming from 2/1 down to pressure Abouelghar into errors in a never-say-die attitude that paid dividends in the end.

"I'm very happy with my performance today," said Salazar. "It's my first time ever in the second round of a World Series tournament.

"I feel that the training I did with Miguel (Angel Rodriguez) in Bogota just before the tournament and the training I do with David Palmer in Orlando is really starting to pay off.

"Yesterday was tough but I woke with energy and confidence. I made sure I focused from the start and tried to make the rallies long and pressure him. I had to push really hard in the fourth and fight for every point because that's what you have to do to try and beat a top player."

Salazar will now face Simon Rösner in the second round after the eighth-seeded German came through a stop-start battle with Scotland's Greg Lobban. The match was disrupted twice for light failure and court maintenance, during what was a difficult day in humid conditions for competitors on the Red Sea.

World No.1 Mohamed Elshorbagy came through his opening encounter with fellow Egyptian Mazen Hesham in a testing and closely-fought three games, coming through 12-10, 11-9, 13-11 courtesy of two tie-breaks.

"It was very tough conditions today," said Elshorbagy. "It was hot and humid but we players have to go play all over the world and adapt to different conditions and I'm glad with how I dealt with it today.

"I think that tonight we presented ourselves in a way that made Egypt proud. Our country is very strong, we have five players in the top 10, which is remarkable in itself."

World No.4 Omar Mosaad was the only other Egyptian winner on the opening day of action as he saw off Cameron Pilley 3/1 in a result that could end the Australian's hopes of making it to the PSA World Series Finals.

"I'm happy with my game today, the conditions are very hard, it's very hot and humid," said Mosaad.